The Alberta Conservative caucus is, I’m sad to report, deeply divided over the most contentious of issues: Which professional hockey team in Alberta is the best?
Right now, of course, MPs from the northern half of the province believe their team, the Oilers, is Alberta’s best and they point to their team’s upset victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tonight, MPs from the southern half of the province hope to be able to say that their Flames will be participating in the Battle of Alberta in the second round of the playoffs.
The rift in this caucus spilled into the House of Commons this afternoon, when Laurie Hawn, the rookie MP for the riding of Edmonton Centre rose to his feet:
Mr. Laurie Hawn (Edmonton Centre, CPC): Mr. Speaker, on August 16, 1812, Canada won the Battle of Detroit with a small army of regulars, militia and native allies, after several shots were fired.
On May 1, 2006, Canada again won the Battle of Detroit with a small army of Edmonton Oilers, after 66 shots were fired.
In the spirit of sport and healthy competition, we, at least the Edmonton Conservative caucus, want to congratulate the Edmonton Oilers on their hard-earned and upset victory over the Detroit Red Wings in round one of the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup.Although we cannot officially cheer for our southern friends and rivals, the Calgary Flames, in their game seven tonight, we do relish the prospect of getting on with one of the greatest rivalries in professional sports, where many more shots will be fired, in what we call the “Battle of Alberta”!